Hinge type fill unit with integral pin construction for cylindrical hub units

ABSTRACT

Circumferentially spaced finishing packs or fills each include an extruded length of stock which in one embodiment is a forked clip mount clamping a stack of abrasive sheets as part of the pack. In another embodiment, it is a mount in a simpler form of extrusion cross-section having a portion embedded in the stack. In either form, it has an integral, radially inwardly extending mounting element of key-like cross-section presenting an enlarged cylindrical bead or pin portion, which in some installations and as herein illustrated has a radially slidable mating and pivotal interfit in axially registered keyhole recesses of a hub of the wheel. These pack mounts are preferably extrusion molded and have axially spaced neck portions formed therein and integrally connecting the stack-engaging portion with the pin or bead portion. For installations of the sort described, the axial width of the neck portions of the extrusion is a trifle less than that of the axial spacing of certain radial disc-like rib formations of the hub between which said formations lie in use. Hence each finishing pack may in such case swing freely in use about the axis of the mounting bead of the extrusion. In other cases the pivotal action may not be present.

United States Patent [191 Belanger 1 HINGE TYPE FILL UNIT WITH INTEGRALPIN CONSTRUCTION FOR CYLINDRICAL HUB UNITS [75] Inventor: James A.Belanger, Livonia, Mich.

[731 Assignee: Belanger Inc., Northville, Mich.

[22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 330,630

[52] U.S. Cl. 51/334 [51] Int. Cl 1324b 9 0 2 [58] Field of Search51/334-337; 15/230, 11-17 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2.423.992 7/1947 Nordgren et al 51/334 2.608.816 9/1952 Lembke 51/336 X3.533.198 10/1970 Burns 51/337 3.548551 12/1970 Block 51/337 3.621.622ll/l97l Belanger 51/337 3,747,285 7/1973 Block 51/334 PrimaryExaminer0thell M. Simpson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Whittemore, Hulbert &Belknap 5 7] ABSTRACT Circumferentially spaced finishing packs or fillseach include an extruded length of stock which in one embodiment is aforked clip mount clamping a stack of abrasive sheets as part of thepack. In another embodiment, it is a mount in a simpler form ofextrusion cross-section having a portion embedded in the stack. Ineither form, it has an integral, radially inwardly extending mountingelement of key-like cross-section presenting an enlarged cylindricalbead or pin portion, which in some installations and as hereinillustrated has a radially slidable mating and pivotal interfit inaxially registered keyhole recesses of a hub of the wheel. These packmounts are preferably extrusion molded and have axially spaced neckportions formed therein and integrally connecting the stack-engagingportion with the pin or bead portion. For installations of the sortdescribed, the axial width of the neck portions of the extrusion is atrifle less than that of the axial spacing of certain radial disc-likerib formations of the hub between which said formations lie in use.Hence each finishing pack may in such case swing freely in use about theaxis of the mounting bead of the extrusion. ln other cases the pivotalaction may not be present.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PNENIEU 32 1374 3, 842,547

SHEET 1 0F 2 FIG.l

HINGE TYPE FILL UNIT WITII INTEGRAL PIN CONSTRUCTION FOR CYLINDRICAL HUBUNITS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS My co-pending application,Ser. No. 155,733, filed June 23, l97l now abandoned, discloses variousembodiments of extruded metal or plastic abrasive- 1 BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION l. Field of the Invention The replaceable hinged finishingpack and hub unit or assembly of the invention finds application invarious types of buffing wheels, polishing wheels, non-solid typegrinding wheels, and other related applications for the rough or finishabrasive working, brushing, burnishing or polishing of metal or otherrigid parts.

2. Description of the Prior Art Abrasive pack-type units of a nature anduse generally similar to those disclosed herein are the subject matterof prior patents to Block, US. Pat. No. 2,804,730 of Sept. 3, 1957,Peterson, US. Pat. No. 2,984,053 of May 16, 1961; Block, US. Pat. No.3,058,269 of Oct. l6, 1962, and Burns, US. Pat. No. 3,533,198 of Oct.13, 1970, but lack disclosure of special structural features andfunctional attributes such as are hereinafter described in detail.

My US. Pat. Nos. 3,455,068 of July 15, 1969, and 3,535,833 of Oct. 27,1970, relate to rotary finishing tools having a replaceable finishingpack feature on which the present invention is an improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Each fill or pack unit according to theinvention comprises a clip or equivalent component clamping or otherwisesupporting a stack of abrasive sheets of a finishing pack, saidcomponents being inexpensively extruded in quantity in metal or plastic,requiring only the further forming operation of severing of a length ofthe extrusion stock into individual lengths, and when needed, punchingor otherwise aperturing the stock thereof radially outwardly of itsintegral pivoting head or pin portion, for a purpose which will appear.The clip is easily and quickly mounted to the the hub, being thenend-confined, typically although not always, by plate componentsremovably attached to the hub structure, thus enabling clipped abrasivepack units to be removed when worn and quickly replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an exploded view in axialsection through components of the improved wheel or drum construction ona line corresponding to broken line 11 of FIG. 2, a typical abrasivepack pursuant to the invention being shown before assembly in an axialposition relative to the hub corresponding to the position it will haveas finally assembled to the hub;

FIG. 2 is a similarly exploded end elevation view, as from the line 2-2of FIG. 1, of the hub and pack components;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in section, in a radial plane at to theaxis of the wheel, during the axially slidable mounting of abrasivepacks to the hub;

FIG. 4 is afragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but indicatingthe swingability of the abrasive packs about individual axes of theirrespective integral clip 0 hinges in the completed assembly of theparts;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified and simpler type abrasivepack featuring an integral stack holding and hinging component orsub-assembly as generally contemplated by the invention, being insection on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the subassembly or unit of FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 8 of a hub structure of alarger size and different orientation of its component discs than theunit of FIGS. 1-4; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of said structure on a line corresponding tobroken line 8-8 of FIG. 7, end confining plate means being omitted forsimplicity.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 14, inclusive, show oneembodiment of the wheel or drum structure of the invention, generallydesignated by the reference numeral 10. It comprises a hub body assembly12, relatively massive and drumlike in nature for its dimensions, whichis constituted by an assembly of like, radially outwardly flanged discmember 13, each presenting an inner circular, generallyrectangular-sectioned body portion 14, from which an integral flange orrib 15, also continuously circular in outline, projects radiallyoutwardly.

It is contemplated that these hub discs be molded from a suitablephenolic, a glass-filled nylon, or other rigid thermoplastic orthermosetting plastic material,

or they may be die-cast, molded of powdered metal, etc., orconventionally machined of metal; and in the formation of each there isprovided a central bore at 16, where the assembly 12 of such discs iskey or otherwise mounted to an appropriate driver shaft (not shown).Radially outwardly of this bore formation, the disc bodies 14 aresimilarly provided with like smaller diameter bores 17 paralleling thedisc axis, which bores, with the disc members in axial assembly, areaxially aligned accurately with one another to receive driver pins 18,shown four in number, through which connection the assembly rotates as aunit.

Finally, each of the disc components 13 is provided in its radiallyoutwardly extending flange with a circumferential series of equallyspaced, keyhole-shaped axial through-openings 20, each including acylindrical inner pivotal bore portion 21 opening outwardly to acircumferentially restricted neck or throat slot portion 22. For maximumhub strength the inner bore portions 21 lie inwardly flush with theouter periphery of the disc body portions 14. The keyhole formations 20slidably receive integral mating portions (later described) of mountingcomponents of each of a series of abrasive packs or fills, such as aregenerally designated 24.

The units 24 will preferably be constituted alike of a stack of flexibleabrasive sheets 25 of the sort described in my above-identified patents,by further preference being of sisal or cloth woven or in cord form,such as a uniwoven nylon Behr-tex tampico. Abrasive sheets of a knownslashed type are also contemplated. Each such stack of sheets 25 is heldin the pack assembly 24 by an improved clip 26 pursuant to oneembodiment of pack of the invention.

In said one embodiment (FIGS. 1-4 inclusive) the clip 26 is integrallymolded one-piece of an extrusion of aluminum or other selectedrigid-setting metal or plastic to afford at a radial outer portionthereof a pair of parallel fork arms 27 integrally connected to anintermediate radially outwardly extending and axially interrupted throator neck formation 28. The latter is of a width, in the circumferentialsense, to fit slidably in the neck or throat portions 22 of the set ofregistered disc keyhole slots 20, as appears in FIGv 3; and the neckformation 28 terminates integrally and radially inwardly in a fulllength cylindrical pivot bead or pin portion 29 shaped for a slidingassembly in the cylindrical pivotal portion 21 of the registered keyholeopenings 20.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the neck formations 28, each ofalmost the same overall axial length as clip 26 as a whole, are eachinterrupted along the axial length thereof, as by stamping or milling at31, to provide individual tongue-like neck or throat parts 32. These areof an axial dimension to fit within a corresponding space 33 existingbetween successive rim or flange portions of the set of hub discs 13,there being adequate side clearance in the final assembly to permit afree swing of the abrasive packs 24 about individual parallel axes atpin elements as the wheel 100perates in abrading, polishing, orotherwise finishing a workpiece, as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings.However, in certain installations the individual pivoting of packs on ahub may not be in order, desired or necessary, as illustrated anddescribed in my copending application, Ser. No. 330,629, mentionedabove. Staples 34 assist in clamping the sheets of pack 24 between thearms 27 of clip 26, as also shown in my application Ser No. 155,733.

A pair of like end plates 35, at least one of which is removablyattached to the hub disc assembly, as by restraining nut or like meansthreaded on the driver shaft to be drivingly mounted in hub bore 13 (assuggested in patent to Root U.S. Pat. No. 339,585 of Apr. 6, 1886). Suchremovable plate means restrains the clips 26 and disc registering pins18 from endwise movement; and it is seen that upon removal of one of theplates 35 any pack 24 may be axially slidably removed for replacement.

FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings illustrate a somewhat modified embodimentof an abrasive pack unit which is specially designated 37, in particulara mounting cliptype part 38 thereof, capable of assembly with thecomposite disc hub structure 12 of FIGS. 1-4 inclusive. In this case,the forked arm clip 26 of those figures has its equivalent in thesimpler plate-like extrusion 38. It has a single flat and radiallyinwardly extending neck formation 39 embedded at its radially outerportion in the center of the stack of abrasive sheets, with a radiallyinner terminal cylindrical pivoting pin or bead portion 40 slidablyengageable in a keyhole opening in the manner described above. Neckformation 39 is subdivided into axially spaced individual and integralneck or throat parts 41 spaced from one another as and for the purposedescribed above in reference to the portions 32 of clip 26. Bypreference, the sheet stack 25 is adhesively bonded and heat andpressure sealed along its radially inner edge, with the series ofstaples 34 applied through the inner portion of mounting member 39 tocomplete the pack assembly 37.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another wheel or driving embodiment of theinvention, generally designated by the reference numeral 42, in whichthe hub body structure 43 comprises a plurality of like disc parts 44optionally produced in the manner previously described in regard todiscs 13. However, in this case discs 44 have the same orientationrelative to one another, i.e., front-toback, along the axial length ofthe hub assembly 43, rather than the back-to-back relationship of theembodiments of FIGS. 1-4. Features of the pack-receiving keyholestructure are the same as previously described, hence are designated bysimilar reference numerals. Discs 44 are each provided with acircumferentially spaced series of circular side bosses 45 through whichfour registering and keying pins 46 extend axially.

End confining plates like the plates 35 of the first embodiment may beemployed; and in all other respects the operations in use and advantagesof the assembly 42 are the same as in the embodiments of FIGS. 14 and 5,6.

What is claimed is:

1. A finishing unit comprising fill material to be mounted in a positionradially outwardly of the axis of a rotary driver structure, and aunitary member for supporting and so mounting said fill material on suchstructure, said member being in a solid cross-section throughout in aplane at to said axis as thus mounted and presenting a radially outerportion secured to said material, a radially inner, axially extendingand transversely enlarged bead-like mounting portion integral with saidouter portion and adapted for a mating engagement with said driverstructure, and an intermediate neck portion integrally connecting saidbead-like and radially outer portions, said neck portion having at leastone opening between integral axially spaced neck elements thereof toafford clearance for a free swing of said unitary member on said driverstructure about said bead-like portion as an axis.

2. A finishing unit comprising fill material to be mounted in a positionradially outwardly of the axis of a rotary driver structure, and aunitary member for supporting and so mounting said fill material on suchstructure, said member being in a solid cross-section throughout in aplane at 90 to said axis as thus mounted and presenting a radially outerportion secured to said material, an intermediate neck portion, and aradially inner, axially extending and transversely enlarged bead-likemounting portion integral with said outer portion and neck portion, saidneck portion and bead-like mounting portion being shaped for an axiallysliding mating engagement with a correspondingly sectioned opening ofsaid driver structure, said neck portion having at least one openingbetween integral axially spaced neck elements thereof to affordclearance for a free swing of said unitary member on said driverstructure member about said bead-like portion as an axis.

3. The finishing unit of claim 1, in which said three portions arecomponents of an extruded axially elongated length of stock.

4. The finishing unit of claim 2, in which said three portions areintegral components of an extruded axially elongated length of stock,said member being substantially coextensive axially overall with saidfill material.

5. The finishing unit of claim 1, in which said radially outer portionof said mounting member has forked arms between which the fill materialis clamped.

6. The finishing unit of claim 2, in which said radially outer portionof said mounting member has forked arms between which the fill materialis clamped.

7. The finishing unit of claim 1, in which said radially outer portionof said mounting member has an integral coplanar plate element by whichthe fill material is carried;

8. The finishing unit of claim 2, in which said radially outer portionof said mounting member has an integral coplanar plate element by whichthe fill material is carried.

9. The combination in a finishing wheel of a circumferential series offinishing units each in accordance with claim 1, and a driver structureas therein referred to, said structure being provided with a series oflike circumferentially spaced sets of aligned openings paralleling theaxis of the driver structure, in each of which sets the bead-likemounting portion of a finishing unit is mounted with a substantiallymating fit.

10. The combination in a finishing wheel of a circumferential series offinishing units each in accordance with claim 2, and a driver structureas therein referred to, said structure being provided with a series oflike circumferentially spaced sets of aligned openings paralleling theaxis of the driver structure, in each of which sets the bead-likemounting portion of a finishing unit is slidably mounted with asubstantially mating fit, said driver structure having at least oneradially outwardly extending rib formation having said openings andbeing straddled by axially spaced neck elements of said neck portion ofthe mounting member, said units being pivotal relative to said driverstructure about individual axes of said bead-like portions.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO. DatedOctober 22, 1974 Inventor(x) James A. Belanger [t is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

[- The following paragraph, which is a part of the Abstract was omittedfrom the printed patent:

"The hub is shown as constituted in a drum-like form by an axiallyextending series of circular disc componeats of identicalcross-sectional outline in a plane including the hub axis. In oneembodiment said hub discs are oriented oppositely in said series so thatsimilar, radially outwardly extending integral rib or flange 'portionsof successive discs are disposed in flush back-to-back axial engagementwith one another. In another embodiment the disc orientation is uniformthroughout the series, i.e., the discs are in front-toback axialabutting contact."

(Paragraph 1, page 2 of the application).

Signed and sealed this 6th day of May 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officerand Trademarks

1. A finishing unit comprising fill material to be mounted in a positionradially outwardly of the axis of a rotary driver structure, and aunitary member for supporting and so mounting said fill material on suchstructure, said member being in a solid cross-section throughout in aplane at 90* to said axis as thus mounted and presenting a radiallyouter portion secured to said material, a radially inner, axiallyextending and transversely enlarged bead-like mounting portion integralwith said outer portion and adapted for a mating engagement with saiddriver structure, and an intermediate neck portion integrally connectingsaid bead-like and radially outer portions, said neck portion having atleast one opening between integral axially spaced neck elements thereofto afford clearance for a free swing of said unitary member on saiddriver structure about said beadlike portion as an axis.
 2. A finishingunit comprising fill material to be mounted in a position radiallyoutwardly of the axis of a rotary driver structure, and a unitary memberfor supporting and so mounting said fill material on such structure,said member being in a solid cross-section throughout in a plane at 90*to said axis as thus mounted and presenting a radially outer portionsecured to said material, an intermediate neck portion, and a radiallyinner, axially extending and transversely enlarged bead-like mountingportion integral with said outer portion and neck portion, said neckportion and bead-like mounting portion being shaped for an axiallysliding mating engagement with a correspondingly sectioned opening ofsaid driver structure, said neck portion having at least one openingbetween integral axially spaced neck elements thereof to affordclearance for a free swing of said unitary member on said driverstructure member about said bead-like portion as an axis.
 3. Thefinishing unit of claim 1, in which said three portions are componentsof an extruded axially elongated length of stock.
 4. The finishing unitof claim 2, in which said three portions are integral components of anextruded axially elongated length of stock, said member beingsubstantially coextensive axially overall with said fill material. 5.The finishing unit of claim 1, in which said radially outer portion ofsaid mounting member has forked arms between which the fill material isclamped.
 6. The finishing unit of claim 2, in which said radially outerportion of said mounting member has forked arms between which the fillmaterial is clamped.
 7. The finishing unit of claim 1, in which saidradially outer portion of said mounting member has an integral coplanarplate element by which the fill material is carried.
 8. The finishingunit of claim 2, in which said radially outer portion of said mountingmember has an integral coplanar plate element by which the fill materialis carried.
 9. The combination in a finishing wheel of a circumferentialseries of finishing units each in accordance with claim 1, and a driverstructure as therein referred to, said structure being provided with aseries of like circumferentially spaced sets of aligned openingsparalleling the axis of the driver structure, in each of which sets thebead-like mounting portion of a finishing unit is mounted with asubstantially mating fit.
 10. The combination in a finishing wheel of acircumferential series of finishing units each in accordance with claim2, and a driver structure as therein referred to, said structure beingprovided with a series of like circumferentially spaced sets of alignedopenings paralleling the axis of the driver structure, in each of whichsets the bead-like mounting portion of a finishing unit is slidablymounted with a substantially mating fit, said driver structure having atleast one radially outwardly extending rib formation having saidopenings and being straddled by axially spaced neck elements of saidneck portion of the mounting member, said units being pivotal relativeto said driver structure about individual axes of said bead-likeportions.